Wharton steals the show with superb display as Crystal Palace beat Rayo Vallecano | OneFootball

Crystal Palace secured a 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano to lift the Europa Conference League title last night.

Palace took the lead through Jean-Philippe Mateta and defended brilliantly until the end to claim another trophy.

Manager Oliver Glasner signs off as a Palace great, and many players also immortalised themselves in the club’s history.

They include Palace talisman Mateta and man of the match Adam Wharton.

The midfielder put in a ‘boss performance‘, earning an 8/10 rating for his display.

Wharton ran the game with his progressive passing and carries, recording two key passes and one big chance created.

He won five of his ten duels and completed one attempted dribble.

Even Mateta’s goal came from his shot, which the goalkeeper parried away. He missed the FA Cup win at the end of last season and made up for it with an extraordinary performance.

He was rightly given the man-of-the-match honour, another feather in the 22-year-old’s cap.

However, despite showcasing his talent in a major European final, Wharton will not be at the World Cup this summer.

Manager Thomas Tuchel has packed his squad with midfielders who can play safe, sideways football.

What they lack is a player capable of dictating the rhythm of matches and unlocking stubborn defences with one disguised pass or clever turn under pressure.

Wharton does exactly that. The Palace star sees pictures before everyone else, manipulates space effortlessly, and gives his side complete control in possession.

He is not the quickest or most physically explosive midfielder, but football at the highest level is still won with intelligence and technical quality.

England are crying out for composure and creativity in midfield, especially against deep defensive blocks. The Palace man creates big chances at will.

Leaving Wharton at home is a complete waste of one of the country’s most gifted young footballers.